Ethan, four, overcomes noise fears thanks to bin man

Ethan Mason, from Fountains Road in Lakenham, Norwich, used to hide away when the bin lorry used to do the rounds up until two years ago but now looks forward to bin day every other Wednesday.

Ethan Mason, four, from Lakenham in Norwich, who has struck up a friendship with bin man Anthony Price (Image: Angela Mason)

This is because over the past year his great nan has been taking him to the front door to see the refuse collectors hard at work.

Over time, the little lad's confidence has improved through his relationship with Anthony Price who is part of the Biffa team which provides the waste collection service for Norwich City Council.

Angela Mason, from Lakenham, whose son Ethan, four, has overcome his fear of the bin lorry noise by establishing a strong friendship with a bin man (Image: Sophie Wyllie)

Angela Mason, Ethan's mum, said: "Ethan was petrified of the bin lorry noise as well as the sound of aeroplanes. He used to slam the back door when he heard them.

"My nan took him to the front door to show him it was not scary. She used to do that with us.

"It escalated from waving through the door to the bin men to him talking to them."

Miss Mason, 25, said her son was "over the moon" after he received a Biffa goody bag including a cap, woolly hat, water bottle and toy truck from Mr Price after his managers heard about the companionship.

The treats from the Biffa goody bag which were given to Ethan Mason, four, from Lakenham, as a surprise by refuse collector Anthony Price (Image: Angela Mason)

The mother-of-two added: "Anthony has always been our bin man but initially we didn't know his name, which is bad. But after we caught Covid in early 2021 we had to isolate and they would check up on us which was nice.

"Ethan has speech issues but by talking to Anthony that has helped him communicate. He goes above and beyond. He stands outside with Ethan for 10-15 minutes. Not everyone makes an effort for everyday people."

Refuse collector Anthony Price giving Ethan Mason, four, a Biffa goody bag on his doorstep (Image: Angela Mason)

A council spokeswoman said: “It’s fantastic to hear about Anthony going the extra mile to help one of our younger residents. We’re not surprised though, the crews work really hard all year round, including throughout the pandemic, and we often hear of times they’ve gone out of their way to assist individuals. Please help them too by making sure you put the right things in the right bin."